Fired WBR deputy accused of lying about, threatening inmates

PORT ALLEN — A deputy at the West Baton Rouge Parish prison was fired Monday after an internal investigation revealed he had falsely accused inmates of misbehavior and had threatened some of them with violence.

The deputy’s firing came a week after a separate investigation resulted in the prison’s assistant warden being demoted for making inappropriate comments to a female employee.

Col. Richie Johnson said Wednesday that Sgt. Brent Ballard was fired after he refused to show up for work following a 3-day suspension.

Ballard, who has worked at the prison since 2010, was suspended without pay on Oct. 14 after the Sheriff’s Office learned the prison deputy had filed false reports accusing inmates of violating facility rules and attempted escape.

Ballard’s false reports resulted in some prisoners getting kicked out of rehabilitation programs the jail offers, Johnson said. According to a statement from a prison employee, Ballard also threatened to “back-slap the piss” out of an inmate who had angered him.

“Our office is not going to tolerate that type of behavior — regardless of what position you hold,” Johnson said Wednesday.

The department launched the probe into Ballard’s dealings are receiving a tip that the deputy was possible lying on inmate reports.

Following a separate investigation launched on Oct. 10, the prison’s assistant warden, Robert Duclo, was demoted from captain to lieutenant after the Sheriff’s Office received a complaint he had made inappropriate comments to a female employee.

Johnson said Duclo was suspended for a day, without pay, and ordered to undergo an employee risk assessment.

Duclo was also required to attend 12 sessions of sensitivity training, Johnson said.